SMC Germany Upgrades Collaborative Capabilities with Aras Innovator

Aras, a company focused on product lifecycle management (PLM) and digital thread solutions, reports that SMC Germany, a manufacturer of pneumatic and electrical automation technology, has selected Aras Innovator. The low-code capabilities of Aras Innovator allow integration with SMC Germany’s existing application landscape.

SMC Germany reports that it is strengthening its global collaboration with the implementation of Aras Innovator. The company established an independent solution based on the same Aras Innovator platform already in use by SMC locations in Japan and the United States. This alignment is expected to support closer integration between development and production sites worldwide.

The project was delivered in cooperation with Aras, its sister company XPLM Solution GmbH, and Bertrandt Systems & Consulting GmbH. XPLM managed the data migration and developed the CAD connector for SolidWorks, ensuring business continuity and system compatibility. Bertrandt supported the introduction of PLM processes at SMC Germany and implemented them in Aras Innovator.

“Aras offers a high degree of flexibility and easily customizable configuration options—a decisive factor for the success of the implementation,” explains Stefan Jaenicke, IT project manager at SMC Germany. “For example, we were able to develop our own connectors for our ERP system and adapt the system precisely to our specific requirements. This flexibility was particularly important because, as one of three SMC development centers worldwide, we work very closely with German industry.”

“We’re proud to support SMC Germany in achieving its corporate goals,” explains Andreas Grave, director Regional Sales Central Europe at Aras. “This implementation demonstrates how Aras Innovator meets even complex requirements and enables tailored solutions.”

The project was implemented in multiple phases. After an initial evaluation using the Aras community edition, SMC Germany transitioned to an Aras subscription in mid-2024 to take advantage of the platform’s capabilities. The initial focus was on migrating core PLM functionalities. Additional phases, including the automation of bill of materials (BOM) processing, are now underway. A key upcoming milestone is the expansion of the in-house-developed ERP connector.

About SMC Germany

SMC Deutschland GmbH, active in Germany since 1978, is a manufacturer, partner and solution provider for pneumatic and electrical automation technology based in Egelsbach near Frankfurt am Main. It was founded as a German subsidiary of the Japanese group SMC Corp. based in Tokyo. With over 820 employees in Germany, SMC has been successfully serving customers in the automotive, electrical, medical, packaging and food industries as well as machine tool manufacturing for decades. 

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.